


Injuries to the Contrary

by IllusionsAreNotSoSimple



Category: Hawkeye (Comics), Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Marvel (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Awesome Darcy Lewis, Clint Barton & Kate Bishop Friendship, Clint Barton & Natasha Romanov Friendship, Clint Barton Feels, Darcy Lewis-centric, Deaf Clint Barton, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Gen, Natasha Romanov Has Issues, Past Abuse, Past Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov, Physical Abuse, Protective Natasha Romanov, Sexual Abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-20
Updated: 2015-07-06
Packaged: 2018-04-05 07:45:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4171656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IllusionsAreNotSoSimple/pseuds/IllusionsAreNotSoSimple
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Darcy shows up for breakfast at Clint's something seems off about her.</p>
<p>or</p>
<p>Darcy is in trouble and Clint and Natasha want to help her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Breakfast

**Author's Note:**

> So the first part may be familiar if you've read the december challenge. However the second part of the chapter is new!

“Katie-Kate?” Clint stumbles down the stairs as Lucky enthusiastically barks at whoever dares to wake him before noon on a day off.  
“Nope.” A cheerfully pitched female voice makes him shudder and he quickly heads towards the coffeemaker.  
“Coffee.” He whines pitifully as he sees that it’s empty. Clint really isn’t a morning person and coffee is necessary to make him at least a little human okay. Laughter is his only response before he gets shoved aside and quick hands make work of the coffeemaker. He drops down on the couch, head falling back and eyes closing while he scratches Lukcy who’s making herself comfortable next to him.

He must have drifted up because when he opens his eyes again the smell of fresh coffee, bacon and eggs great him and he groans happily. He slowly gets up and scratches, petting the dog a few times before turning around and going to the kitchen for coffee. And breakfast but first coffee. “Darce?” He stumbles to a halt at the sight of the young woman who has apparently made him breakfast.

“Hi sleepy.” Darcy beams at him and motions for him to sit down as she puts a large coffee mug and a plate on the table. Clint makes a beeline for the mug and happily downs all the coffee. He immediately feels more awake and shoots her a smile in thanks. Darcy picks up the coffeepot and refills the mug as Clint finally sits down. “Thanks and uh… Not to sound ungrateful but what are you doing here Darce?” Darcy shrugs and looks away, she begins to clean up the mess she made as she avoids the question. “So is Katie your girlfriend?”  
Clint chokes on his toast and coughs before he can speak again. “Don’t say that.” He nearly shouts as he shudders at the thought. “She’s too young.” He adds at Darcy’s raised eyebrows.

Before Darcy can ask more about Kate there is a knock on the door. Darcy looks over at Clint who just shrugs and starts eating again. Darcy sighs loudly and goes to open the door. She is surprised to find Natasha on the other side and immediately steps aside to let the woman in. The widow raises a perfectly sculptured eyebrow and Darcy just blinks. They make their way to the kitchen, Clint only pausing to wave as he keeps eating before Darcy finally blurts, “Why did you knock?” because if she can come into the apartment at any time then surely Natasha can too.  
Natasha’s lips quirk up with amusement as she studies the younger woman. “I smelled breakfast.” As she sees the confusion on Darcy’s face she clarifies. “Barton doesn’t cook so if I smell breakfast there must be a woman in here.”  
Darcy’s eyes widen with understanding and then she smacks her hand over her mouth. “No. Gods no. I mean not that he’s not. But no. I. No.” She mutters, words barely audible through her hand.  
Natasha just looks amused before raising an eyebrow at Barton who promptly chokes again. “Tasha.” He mutters angrily when he can breath again.  
Natasha just gives him a bland smile before gracefully sitting down at the table. “Is there anything left?” Darcy nods and quickly fills another mug and plate and puts it on the table in front of Natasha.

Silence last while they eat, Clint eating a second plate and Darcy eating some as well. Natasha works in silence as she clears the dishes away when Clint interrupts the silence. “So what are you doing here Darce?” Darcy freezes and keeps quiet but Clint waits and when Natasha is done she sits down and raises an eyebrow at the younger woman in question. Darcy doesn’t notice since she is looking at table, not speaking.

“Darce?” When Clint touches her arm she flinches. Clint sits next to her and exchanges worried looks with Natasha. “Darcy you need to talk to us.”

When Darcy looks up there are unshed tears in her eyes and she swallows hard. Clint's hand hovers near her arm, waiting for permission to touch her while Natasha studies her closely. When she reaches out for her mug her hand trembles so she quickly pulls it back.

"Darcy?" Clint's voice is soft and warm and filled with worry. "Please tell us how we can help you?" He pleads.

At the sound of his voice she turns to him, finding his eyes intent on her, filled with worry and concern and she sighs, shoulders slumping and head falling onto his shoulder. "We're gonna help you Darce. Whatever you need." Clint mutters as he wraps his arm around her and holds her close. He looks up at Natasha, exchanging a few meaningful glances.

Natasha gets up and busies herself in the kitchen, making some tea as she pretends not to listen to Clint who is still comforting Darcy with soft murmurs as Darcy now finally cries softly on his shoulder. Off course she had noticed the way that Darcy had avoided eye contact the whole morning and the flinch at physical contact was hard to miss. Those two things added up with her too helpful and too cheerful demeanour, the fact that she is here in the morning and the dark baggy clothes that she is wearing have made her already reach a conclusion and she feels angry. Natasha doesn't think that Darcy thinks of her as a good friend but she certainly does consider Darcy a good friend. At times like this she wishes that she was a better friend herself because she had noticed the change in wardrobe a while ago but she'd never had any idea how to act on it besides spying and since she considers Darcy a friend that would've been inappropriate. Her fists clench as she takes a few calming breathes. To hell with conventional, she could've prevented the girl from getting hurt but she'd been to wrapped up in herself. The sound of the water boiling pulls her out of her thoughts. She makes the tea and puts a mug in front of Darcy and takes her own back to her chair where she sits and waits.

Clint who had been trying to comfort Darcy shoots her a quick smile as he takes the mug and puts it closer to Darcy. "It will be okay sweetheart." He murmurs and kisses her temple. When he glances towards Natasha he frowns and raises his eyebrow to her. He takes in the stiff way she sits and the way her face is blank and sighs softly. "Tash." He breathes softly and then just shakes his head. First Darcy needs to talk to them, then he can calm Tasha off the ledge.

Darcy finally leans back a bit and takes a grateful gulp of tea. The warm liquid soothes her throat and she uses her sleeve to wipe her face. "Sorry about that." She mutters to Clint. She feels like a fool and just wants to walk away but one look at Clint tells her that it's to late for that.

"Okay." He voice breaks and she clears her throat. "Okay so uhm it's not a real big deal and I should probably just deal with it myself." She is proud of how even her voice sound. She can feel the sigh that Clint lets out and wonders if she'll be able to get away with it but when she looks towards Natasha she freezes. She doesn't know Natasha to well but she has seen this particular look before and things had been really bad then. She gulps for air and just stares at the redhead.

"Tasha you're scaring her." Clint's voice breaks the silence. Darcy bites her lip, looking from one to the other when Natasha slowly reaches out. She shows her intent clearly before taking Darcy's hand in hers and looking at her. Darcy's breath stocks and Natasha shoots her a sad little smile.  
"Darcy please let us help you." She says softly and the tears well up in Darcy's eyes again.

"How much do you know?" Darcy's question is soft and timid and Natasha and Clint exchange another look.  
"Nothing." Natasha finally answers.  
"Nothing concrete." Clint amends, shooting Natasha a warning look.

Darcy just nods, having missed the small exchange as she wrecks her brain on how to go about this. "Can we sit down on the couch?" She asks and so they get up and settle down on the couch, tea and coffee placed within reach as Darcy settles against the arm of the couch, feet tucked under her legs, holding her tea like a lifeline. Natasha and Clint exchange another worried glance; Clint sitting next to her while Natasha has taken the armchair.

When they are all sitting Darcy takes a deep breath and begins.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your comments and enthousiasme! I'm not sure where this story is going but I'm already working on the next chapter so I hope the wait won't be as long as it was this time!
> 
>  
> 
> This chapter mentions sexual/emotional and physical abuse so be aware if this can trigger you.

"So it started in London. Jane was trying to fix the Bifrost so I thought a science intern would be nice and I hired Ian. He could actually talk science with Jane and even with Erik so he stayed and when the whole dark elves invasion happened he saved me and I kissed him. It was a spur of the moment kinda thing and it really wasn't anything special. Then Thor came back and then he and Jane left again and we were just sorta left behind at Jane's moms place. It was awkward." She shoots them Clint a sad smile.

"I miss it you know? I mean I know it was crazy but Jane in constant science mode and Erik without pants... It was comfortable in way." She shakes her heads to clear the memory and frowns as she tries to pick up her story.

"Uh so yeah. For a while we were there without Jane and Erik got pretty lost in his own science and Ian.. Well he started to follow me around like a lost puppy. It was kinda cute so we were sorta together?" She hums and starts picking on the threads of her sweater.

"I guess we were. He seemed to think so and I let it happen. I mean he's pretty sweet and all that so why not right?" She laughs a little off key and avoids looking Clint and Natasha.

"Anyways that happened and then Jane and Thor came back and then we pretty much moved to New York and the tower. Or well Jane and Thor did and I tagged along and then three weeks later Ian just showed up. He said he'd graduated and wanted to be with me and keep working with Jane and it was pretty sweet. I mean he'd moved halfway cross the world for me?!" She shoots a glance at Clint who is watching her intently and she grimaces.

"Obviously I didn't ask him to do that but what could I do? No one has ever done anything like that for me?" Clint just shoots her encouraging smile that she answers.

"So after a while he wanted to live together outside the tower and I wasn't sure but then he showed me he already had a place and when I said it looked good we moved out the same day. After that he started asking me to be around more. He talked about it with Jane and she agreed I should have regular hours so that happened. And whenever I didn't come home straight after work he'd make a fuss. So it was easier to just do it and it wasn't like he was hurting me or something. He just wanted to spend time with me." A tear slowly makes its way down her cheek and she forcefully rubs it away.

"I shouldn't have been so naive. I don't get why I let this happen." She curls in on herself as more tears begin to fall. She feels Clint's arm coming around her so she buries herself into his side.

"You didn't do anything wrong sweetheart. He did." There is a hard edge to his tone even though he is talking soothingly and it makes her smile a little.

"Yes he did." She agrees. "Not long after he wanted to have sex more often and whenever I said anything about it or stopped him he'd start yelling and telling me I'm rejecting him and he's done so much for me." He breath hitches and she takes a moment before continuing.

"If I argued back he'd hit me or pinch me." She buries her face in Clint's tshirt and holds him tight while he strokes her back. They stay like that for a while as she's crying into his shirt. It's Natasha that breaks the silence.

"You're not weak." The statement is soft but clear and it makes Darcy's tears stop as the words echo in her head.

After a couple of deep breaths she lifts her head and looks over at Natasha. "Yes I am." She whispers softly before leaning back into Clint.

"No." The words are clear and ring truthful as Natasha stands up and kneels down before the couch. Natasha takes hold of her hand and then waits to speak until she looks up into Natasha's eyes.

"You are not weak. You did not ask for anything that happened to you. You are not responsible for the way he treated you. He is a grown man who used emotional and physical manipulation and abuse to keep himself happy. He did not nor has he ever cared for you because he has never respected you. It is not your fault that you did not notice this. Nor is it your fault for not taking action before this moment. He made it impossible for you to do this and that is the truth. The truth is that you are very strong and very brave for standing up to him and I'm so proud of you." Natasha states these words clear and loud and leaves her with her mouth open and a wide-eyed look, tear tracks dry on her cheeks. She can feel the rumble of Clint's chuckles against her side as she blinks slowly.

"I'm glad you came to us and I'm sorry that I didn't see sooner." Natasha says softly and Darcy just shakes her head.

"No Tasha." The words break off and she clears her throat. "Thank you." She pulls the other woman into a hug and it takes a long while before she let's go.

She sits back against Clint while Natasha sits down at the coffee table, hand holding her ankle as Clint hugs her close. "So what happens now? She asks looking from one to the other.

**Author's Note:**

> All mistakes in this work are my own. Kudos and comments are welcome and much appreciated!


End file.
